Cometh the Archer
"Cometh the Archer" is the eighteenth episode of ninth season of the ''Murdoch Mysteries'', the one hundredth thirty-second episode of the series and the season finale. It first aired on March 21, 2016. Summary The return of an adversary threatens the lives of Murdoch and Ogden in the season finale. Sharing a cozy Sunday morning in bed, (may as well, too late for early church service) William and Julia decide it’s time to build their dream house and to adopt a child, giving up hotel living and “taking a risk” with Julia’s cooking when a knock at the door interrupts. Julia had ordered breakfast, “Don’t bother, I’ll go.” Three shots are heard, William springs out of bed to find a fallen and unconscious Julia, gravely wounded. It’s a race with Time to get her to hospital to save her life. Who’s behind this assault – possible murder – that has left their once safe residence a crime scene? The unflappable Detective Murdoch is frazzled by events that push him to the brink. Character Revelations *William and Julia share compatible blood types (eps 411, 702), now his blood joins hers. *The Brain Activity Monitor shows the connection between William and Julia. *Julia kills another human being for the second time, the first was in Snakes and Ladders. Continuity * The third time that the Windsor House Hotel is the scene of the crime. * Julia Ogden is the Archer, see [[Murdoch in Ladies Wear|''Murdoch in Ladies Wea'r'']]. * Murdoch invents the Brain Activity Monitor. * When Julia is in a coma, William tells her, "''You are going to come through this, Julia...And when you do, we are going to start our family. Somewhere out there, there's a child who is going to be very lucky to have you as their mother." * While examining the records of women who died at the Asylum since Dr. Ogden's began working there, a references to the murder case in [[Murdochophobia|Murdochophobia']] is made by Crabtree and the Inspector. * Diabolical Eva Pearce returns for her final showdown with William and Julia in Murdoch Mysteries. * No season finale cliff-hanger – no "to be continued" ending, MM show-runner Peter Mitchell stated he wanted a clean slate for Season 10. Historical References * This episode takes place in Toronto, winter of 1903 – the Edwardian Era (1901-1910) a the time in which King Edward VII rules the British Empire; It is known as the Belle Époque era, conventionally dated from the end of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871 to the outbreak of World War I in 1914. * British scientist Richard Caton's research proved that the brain is indeed electrical. Trivia * Allusion to Stephen King's book and film ''Misery, ''with the cinematic feel of ''McCabe & Mrs. Miller * At the 2016 Canadian Screen Awards, Yannick Bisson won the Fans' Choice Award. At the end of his acceptance speech, he announced that Murdoch Mysteries is coming back with a 10th season. * Julia and Eva fight scene filmed at Elliot Tree Farm in Erin, Ontario. * Hélène’s simple list of requests, “Can I ride a horse this year and can I shoot a bow and arrow?” MM writers came up with a scenario fulfilling her wishes, thus this episode is a favorite of hers. * It was Sean who asked show-runner Peter Mitchell, “Hey, could I die this year?” Peter said, “Yeah, sure man.” It wasn’t a question of having to go down and tell someone who’s been an extra on the show for seven years that he’s not coming back. * This final episode of Season 9 drew an overnight audience of 1.32 million to CBC, and the entire ninth season drew an average audience of 1.4 million viewers, according to Numeris data provided by Shaftesbury. Errors * While show-runner Peter Mitchell has stated that he wanted Season 10 to start with a clean slate ( with no cliff-hanger to resolve), longtime fans are speculating that Season 9 finale's storyline is all a dream or, at the very least, Julia's coma dream which would explain the anomalies and character inconsistencies. We'll all have to wait for the Fall to see! Cast Main Cast Yannick Bisson as Detective William Murdoch Hélène Joy as Dr. Julia Ogden Thomas Craig as Inspector Thomas Brackenreid Jonny Harris as Constable George Crabtree Recurring Cast Lachlan Murdoch as Constable Henry Higgins Mouna Traoré as Rebecca James Kristian Bruun as Constable Slugger Jackson Sean Harraher as Constable Worseley Daiva Johnston as Eva Pearce Guest Cast Sean Arbuckle as Doctor George Maharris Josh Cruddas as Donald Chapman Ryan Reid as Liam McFarland Chris Baker as Donald Jones Alan Lee as Smith Hilary Carroll as Emily Winters Elana McMurtry as Nurse Kyle Meagher as Boy Alastair Love as Man Alexander Krstich as Driver Uncredited Cast Gallery Category:Season Finales Category:Season Nine Category:Season Error